# Accident 19980818021249A: Ayres S2R, Beeville, TX, August 18, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 18, 1998, 17:00 local time - Place: Beeville, TX - Airport: Beeville Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: R4FG - Location: 28.4002° N, 97.7409° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.4002&lon=-97.7409&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1731S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1731S-2000-07-28) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aero Commander S2R (registry code 0143022, https://openairdocs.org/model/aero-commander-s2r) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AYRES S2R - Reported engine: PWA R1340AN1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA363](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA363) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980818021249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT LOST POWER ON TAKEOFF AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD. ON AUGUST 18,1998, AT 1707 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AERO COMMANDER S2R AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N1731S, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY REBEL FLYERS,INC. OF BULVERDE, TEXAS, AS A TITLE 14CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR BEEVILLE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE BEEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT FLOWN IN TWO WEEKS, AND THE PILOT AND OWNER WERE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON THE ENGINE. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT THEY WERE DRYING OUT THE MAGNETOS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT FURING TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 18, THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF THE RUNWAY AFTER ABOUT 1,000 FEET. IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WHEN THE RIGHT WING DIPPED DOWNWARD AND THEN LEVELED. THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE ROSE AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE WING DIPPED AGAIN AND THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN NOSED DOWN ADN IMPACTED THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING; HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE,AND PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE FOUND IN THE "BACK" POSITION, AND THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS FOUND IN THE "FULL NOSE DOWN POSITION". FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE FUSELAGE WAS TWISTED, BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED, AND THE FIREWALL AND ENGINE WERE ALSO DAMAGED. (.4) DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE LIFT OFF THE RUNWAY AFTER A GROUND ROLL OF ABOUT 800 TO 1,000 FEET. IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY WHEN THE RIGHT WING DIPPED DOWNWARD AND THEN LEVELED. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE PITCHED UP, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING DIPPED AGAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT, NOSED DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE OWNER STATED THAT THE 'AIRCRAFT WAS CHECKED THOROUGHLY' PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT SINCE IT HAD NOT FLOWN IN TWO WEEKS. THE OWNER INDICATED THAT THE RE WAS NO 'MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FAILURE.' (-23) ON AUGUST 18, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 17:00 HOURS, AN AERO COMMANDER, MODEL S2R OWNED BY MR. JOHN PAULSON AND OPERATED BY MR. JOHN LUTHER, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF. VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT, COMMERCIAL RATED, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN BEEVILLE, TX. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98LA363](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA363), Aug 18, 1998: Aero Commander S2R (N1731S), Beeville, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and the ensuing inadvertent stall. ## Other reports on N1731S (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19780531011519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780531011519A), May 31, 1978: Ayres S2R (N1731S), Eudora, AR, Substantial damage - [Accident 19740525015409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740525015409A), May 25, 1974: Ayres S2R (N1731S), Eudora, AR, Substantial damage. Lnd on turn row to talk to flagman. L gr hit buried drainage ditch under road. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.